Many professionals shy away from setting boundaries at work because they fear potential consequences. However, in high-pressure always-on work cultures, constantly saying “yes” is often mistaken for being considered a top performer. The opposite may be true. Focus increases quality while overwhelmed workers are rarely top performers. Taking on too much only leads to burnout and job errors.

A 2025 Confidence Gap Survey deployed by Connext, a global tech and staffing company, found that 64% of employees surveyed feel they are rewarded (at least sometimes) simply for productivity optics like logging long hours, being online for extended timeframes, or attending meetings with no real purpose. But that type of performance doesn’t translate into being a high performer or growing your own professional network. In order to be memorable and irreplaceable, you have to prioritize. Here are five boundary-setting phrases high performers use at work.

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